Sports
Mississippi State Hands Ohio Fifth Straight Loss
By: Kellen Becoats
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The Bobcats could not leave Gulfport, Miss., quick enough after yielding yet another loss 2-1 to host Mississippi State on Sunday to bring their record to 12-6 and their losing streak to five games.
The game was knotted up at one apiece going into the bottom of fourth before Lauren McClary (2-2) yielded the decisive run that sunk Ohio’s chances of leaving the Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic with a win.
After giving up the run, Savannah Jo Dorsey was brought onto the mound and came through for the Bobcats in a big way. The bases were loaded when the sophomore took the circle but Dorsey persevered and struck out Mississippi State’s Olivia Golden to end the inning.
Dorsey wasn’t the only strong pitcher on the day, with the Bulldogs’ Allison Owens being the decisive factor during the game. Owens (8-1) shut down the Bobcats during her complete game and finished with 11 strikeouts while allowing just one hit and one earned run.
The Bulldogs took the lead early with a Caroline Seitz homer to center field. Ohio gave up 16 runs in the Classic with a return of five runs to the Bobcats’ name.
Ohio’s offense struggled mightily during the Classic, only registering more than one run in its 5-2 loss to Chattanooga on Friday. Dakota Pyles smashed her second home run of the year but it only proved a consolation.
The Bobcats won’t have long to let the Classic linger in their minds as they travel to Nashville to begin their first midweek games of 2014. Ohio looks to end its 5-game skid when it takes on Tennessee State on Tuesday, March 4, at 6 p.m. and then faces a doubleheader against Lipscomb at 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5.